Improvement in retorts for the manufacture of illuminating-gas



D. L. MacNEILL. Retort for the Manufacture of Illuminating Gas.

N0 160.7 40 Y n iatented Marchr9,1875.

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I B I I 5 A M b THE GRAPHIC Cb.PHGTO.-L|TH.39&4I PARK PLAGE,N-Y-

D. L. MacNEILL. Re tnrt for the Manufacture of Illuminati-n9 Gas.

N ,160,740 Paiente d Mar h9,1875.

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THE GRAPHIC Cb.PMOTO.-LITH.39 1&4! PARK PLAGEJLY.

NI'IEZD STATES PATENT Qrrron DONALD L. MAONEILL, or new roan, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN RETORTS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF |LLUMlNATlNG-GAS.

Spec'fication forming part of Letters Patent No. 160,740, dated March 9,1875; application filed February 23, 1875.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, DONALD L. MAONEILL, of the city of New York, countyof New York and State of New York, have invented Improvements inRetortsfor the Manufacture of Illuminating-Gas, of which the followingis a specification The object of my invention is a retort provided withchannels or passages for the reception of the water and of deoxidizingmaterial, (to produce both hydrogen and hydrocarbon gasessimultaneously). and otherwise constructed as shownin the accompanyingdrawing, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the improvedretort used in carrying out my process; Fig. 2, a section on the line 12, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow; and Fig. 3, an endview of the retort.

In a furnace, A, of any suitable construction, is set the retort B, theends of which project slightly beyond the front and rear walls of thefurnace; and with the rear end of the retort communicate the gas-exhaustpipe at and a discharge-pipe, I), through which any liquid matterremaining undecomposed may be withdrawn. At opposite sides of the retortare parallel channels or passages c c e 0 which communicatewith eachother through transverse passages 0 e at the rear end of the retort, thesaid passages being, in the present instance, formed in the body of theretort, although they may-be made by means of metal pipes suitablyarranged. A small tube, f, extends through the cap (3 of the retort intothe channels 0, a tube, 9, the ends of which also extend through thecap, forms a communication between the channels 0 c and a similar tube,h, communicating at one end with the channel 0, projects through the capand communicates with the interior of the retort at a point a shortdistance below the oil-feeding tube 70. In the channels of the retortare placed a deoxidizing substance, which, with the retort, becomeshighly heated. The oil is passed into the retort, and drops upon thecoke from the pipe is, and water in a small stream is conducted throughthe pipe f to the channel 0, through which, and successively through thechannels 0 c c e e c, it passes over or through the deoxidizin gmaterial until decomposed, hydrogen gas flowing through the tube h intothe retort. The hydrogen, and the gases generated from the oil, aresubjected in the retort to a high temperature, under the influence ofwhich they combine, forming a gas which is of that permanent characternecessary to prevent the clogging of both the retort and conductingpipes by condensation.

It is essential that the water be introduced directly into the channelsof the retort, as thereby the necessity of employing exteriorsteam-generating pipes is avoided, such pipes being objectionable fromthe fact that they burn away so rapidly as to render them practicallyunavailable for the purpose intended.

I By arranging the pipes h and k as described, the hydrogen is combinedwith the hydrocarbon gas at the moment the latter is generated, thuspreventing the condensation and deposit of carbon, while the arrangementof the steamgenerating and deoxidizing chambers is such that the greaterpart of the retort is of a single thickness of metal, thereby insuring ahigh internal temperature necessary to fix the gases that cannot beattained where the bot-- tom or sides of the retort are doublethroughout their entire extent.

I do not claim a retort provided with chambers for containingd'eoxidizing material; but

I claim- 1, A retort, provided with one or more chambers for receivingwater and deoxidizing material, in combination with a pipe, f,communicating with a'waterreservoir and with said chambers, as setforth.

2. A retort, provided with a chamber or chambers for receiving water andretaining deoxidizing material, combined with an oil pipe to deliver theoil directly upon the bottom of the retort.

3. The retort, its steam-generatin g and deoxidizing chambers, combinedwith the oil-pipe 7c and gaspipe h to inject the gas into the retort atthe point where the oil falls upon the bottom thereof, as and for thepurpose set forth.

4. A retort, in the body of which are formed channels arranged to leaveintervening portions consisting of one thickness of metal, as and forthe purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

DONALD L. MAONEILL.

Witnesses:

O. W. NAssAU, H. O. JOHNSTON.

